Chương 12 - The Nurse
The nurse agreed to meet in a busy coffee shop.
Her name was Beth Keller.
She arrived wearing scrubs beneath a gray coat and kept checking the street.
Evelyn sat beside Alina.
Dante remained outside with Nico.
Beth placed a folded schedule on the table.
“Sofia came back with fever and weakness.
She was scared, but she was alert.
She asked for her own doctor.”
“What happened?”
“A substitute took over.
He said the original doctor wasn’t available.”
“Was that true?”
“No.
I called him later.”
Beth’s hands shook around her coffee.
“I saw Carlo speaking with the substitute outside her room.
When I checked the medication record afterward, an entry had been changed.”
Evelyn leaned forward.
“Do you have the original?”
“A printout.
I made it before the chart was updated.”
She slid a sealed envelope across the table.
“I reported the discrepancy.
Two days later, I was reassigned.
Then a man came to my house and told me to think about my kids.”
Alina looked at the envelope but didn’t touch it.
“Why come forward now?”
“Because someone sent me a photograph of you holding that baby.
It said you would be blamed next.”
“Who sent it?”
“I don’t know.”
Beth handed over the phone on which the message had arrived.
Evelyn asked if she would speak to investigators.
Beth’s eyes filled.
“If you can help me keep my family safe.”
“We can arrange the right contact,” Evelyn said.
“I won’t promise something I can’t control.”
That answer steadied Beth more than reassurance would have.
Outside, Dante listened while Alina told him what they had learned.
He closed one fist.
Then opened it.
“No one touches her,” Alina said.
He met her eyes.
“I’m not going after her.
Or the doctor.
Evelyn makes the calls.”
A black car rolled slowly past.
Beth ducked her head.
Nico photographed the plate.
Alina looked at the driver.
Vittorio.
He didn’t stop.
He lifted one hand from the wheel and tapped his wrist.
Ten minutes later, Evelyn received notice of an emergency hearing.
May you like
Carlo was asking for immediate custody.
They had until the following afternoon.
